


Long Road

by Teddybelle



Category: Torchwood
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-15
Updated: 2020-07-15
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:54:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,468
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25283443
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Teddybelle/pseuds/Teddybelle
Summary: I found this in my files and have no idea what the original concept was supposed to be.  Don't remember where I was intending to take this, don't know if I'll continue it.
Relationships: Jack Harkness/Ianto Jones
Kudos: 13





	Long Road

Long road

Ianto was tired. All he wanted was a hot shower and sleep. Jack, however, had other ideas. 

“You have slime in your ears, love.” Jack purred as he nuzzled into Ianto from behind. “Maybe we should explore all your other nooks and crannies to see where else we can find it.”

Ianto let out a huff of breath. “Not tonight Jack. I'm exhausted.” 

Jack looked at him like a five year old who just learned he wasn't getting a puppy. “Please Ianto? Maybe just a handy in the shower?”

“Jack, I know you don't really sleep, but I do, and I haven't in two days. I'll be lucky if I can stand long enough to get all this off me.”

Jack gave Ianto his sexiest smile. “Is that a challenge?” 

“No, Jack. It isn't. Just let me shower and sleep. Please.”

Jack stepped back and let his arms drop from around Ianto. “Fine, I'm sorry. Go on and get cleaned up.” With that he turned and climbed up the ladder to his office. 

When Ianto got out of the shower he wasn't entirely surprised to see that Jack wasn't in bed. What was surprising was that he wasn't in his office either. 

“Jack?” 

As Ianto searched around the hub with no sign of Jack he decided to call him. He really wanted to apologize for his earlier attitude. 

He dialed the number and it was answered almost instantly. “Jack, look I'm sorry for earlier, I just….”

He let his apology trail off as he heard Jack's voice. It was muffled, and it was soon obvious that the phone was in Jack's pocket. There was music in the background and Jack must have shifted, because now Ianto could understand what was being said. 

“.... lucky day. Such a sexy little twink.”

Ianto felt like he was approaching a train wreck. He didn't want to continue to listen, but as a second voice rang out he couldn't help himself. 

“What are you gonna do with me, Daddy? Take me home and spank me?”

“Hmmm, I can think of a lot of things I'd like to do with you. What do you say we go back to your place? I've got a flatmate who's being a bit pissy tonight.”

“I don't know, my flatmate may want me to share.”

“Sounds amazing to me. Lead the way.”

Ianto felt the phone slip from his fingers and didn't move as it shattered on the floor. There's no way he heard that right. But that was Jack's voice.

As the shock wore off a bit he didn't think. He simply threw on his coat as he made his way to the door. 

He didn't even notice he was in sleep pants with bare feet until he was standing in his flat. He slipped off the jacket and made his way to the bedroom. The last thing he remembered of the night was curling up in bed and sobbing. 

.oOo.

The morning was half over and there was no sign of Jack. He had called Tosh and let her know he was busy with a project so no one worried. 

Ianto was in the tourist office, reading bad fanfiction to keep himself distracted. He hadn't counted on Tosh to catch on to things. Soon he had a message using the internal messenger program that only he and the tech genius ever used. 

T: Everything ok? You've been hiding this morning. 

Leave it to Tosh to pick up on that

I: Yes. I'm fine. 

He sighed and tried again. 

I: No, I'm not. You would be hiding too if you had to admit Owen was right. 

T: That sounds ominous. What was he right about? Maybe we never have to tell him. ;)

Ianto looked at the screen for what felt like hours, but was probably only minutes. Finally he wiped the tears from his face and typed the three words that had been haunting him since he had tried to call Jack.   
I: Part time shag 

T: WHAT??!! Please tell me your kidding! Ianto I'm so sorry. 

I: Sorry for what? I should have seen it coming. Look it's not that big a deal and I don't want to talk about it. 

T: OK. just know I'm here if you change your mind. 

I: Thanks. 

.oOo.

Jack finally showed up just after lunch. Ianto made it a point to not be in the same room until he made his early afternoon coffee rounds. 

Ianto set Jack's cup on his desk and turned to go. 

“Ianto,” Jack called out to stop him. “I was thinking maybe later we could watch that…”

“No.” Ianto cut him off. “I'm going home, Jack. Whatever you were planning tonight you can do without your pissy flatmate.”

“Ianto? What are you talking about?”

“Oh, I wasn't the flatmate you were telling your sexy little twink about last night?”

Jack sat dumbfounded. “What on Earth are you talking about, Yan?”

“I tell you no once, Jack. ONCE. And you go out on the pull. I thought we were getting past being just casual fuck buddies. I guess I was wrong.”

Ianto again turned to leave.

“Ianto, I...You weren’t…”

Ianto shook his head. “It’s fine, Jack.” 

Jack tried to say more but Ianto didn’t care. He simply left.

.oOo.

Nothing was said about it for quite a while, and for that Ianto was grateful. He had truly begun giving his heart to Jack, only to have it tossed back at him. He wasn’t going to lie. It hurt. It hurt like Hell. Through so much Jack had been his knight in shining armor. Now he was gone. 

Jack didn’t even try to talk to him anymore. Unless, of course it was Torchwood business.

Ianto just put on the mask he used to wear every day when he was still trying to be invisible for Lisa’s sake. He was getting good at invisibility again. So much that no one noticed that at least twice a week he was coming in to work with a slight hangover.

At least that’s what he thought.

Until he came in one morning and the team was introduced to Jason. 

Jason was young. Maybe 21, 22. 

He was also gorgeous.

“I’ve decided I need a bit more help around here. Jason is going to work the tourist office for us. Free up Ianto for the archives and give us a more stable cover.”

Ianto couldn’t help but notice the fact that Jack’s hand never left Jason’s back. He also realized this meant that his time above ground getting sunshine was being taken from him. 

Then he heard it. The same voice that called Jack ‘Daddy’ over the phone. 

“Hey, everyone. It’s nice to meet you.” 

Ianto’s brain froze. He just reacted. 

He turned and took himself down to the archives. Apparently he didn’t deserve to be among the living anymore. 

He didn’t know if anyone noticed him leaving. He didn’t care. He had to get himself together before his mask broke and he did something drastic.

After a while of mind numbing work going through the archives he went upstairs to check the coffee supply. That’s what he was, after all. Archivist, Tea Boy, and invisible errand boy.

He began to gather everyone’s coffee mugs on a tray. When he stepped in front of Jack’s open office door he didn’t expect to see his former lover (fuck buddy? Friend with benefits?) liplocked with the new kid. 

He wasn’t noticed and turned to leave. He casually walked down to the kitchen area, set the tray down, and left.

He hated going back to his flat. So he walked past it and to the pub around the corner. 

Nancy, the barmaid, was surprised to see him. “Ianto, love. What brings you in this early? Don’t usually see you until the evening.”

Ianto just waved her off. “Off work early. The usual pints please. Bigger tip for you if I never see an empty glass.”

With that he began drowning his sorrows.

.oOo.

Ianto had one hell of a headache. It was the price he paid for last night he supposed.   
He was surprised when Owen came down to the archives. “Owen, I'm sorry, must have lost track of time down here. I'll go get the coffee made straight away. “

Owen just shook his head. “No, mate. Thought you could use these.” He set a cup with some painkillers and another cup with water down on Ianto’s desk. “You must feel bad enough when you come in with a normal hangover. With how early you left yesterday today's must be a monster. Don't think Tosh and I haven't noticed.”

With that the doctor turned and left. 

Ianto sat and swallowed the pills dry. 

“Guess I'm not as invisible as I thought.”


End file.
